A study reveals a coordinated network of media, money, and political influence fueling anti-Muslim bigotry—and how Canadians are fighting back.
In the wake of two horrific, deadly attacks on Muslims in Canada—the 2017 Québec City mosque shooting and the 2021 truck attack in London, Ontario—a pressing question has haunted the nation: Where does this hate come from? While individual radicalization is often blamed, new academic research points to a more systemic and organized source: a well-funded, interconnected “Islamophobia Industry.”
A seminal study by Dr. Jasmin Zine of Wilfrid Laurier University, published in the Islamophobia Studies Journal, maps for the first time the extensive Canadian ecosystem of individuals, groups, and institutions that professionally manufacture and spread fear of Islam and Muslims. This isn’t just about random bigotry; it’s about a coordinated network with significant financial backing, media platforms, and political influence.
This phenomenon is unique to Islamophobia. Other forms of racism and oppression do not have coordinated networks and industries behind their propagation.
What is the “Islamophobia Industry”?
The term describes a symbiotic network comprised of:
- Far-right media outlets and influencers (e.g., Rebel News)
- White nationalist “foot soldier” groups (e.g., Proud Boys, Soldiers of Odin)
- Pro-Israel fringe groups (leveraging “soft power”)
- Muslim dissidents & ex-Muslims (acting as “native informers”)
- Think tanks & designated security “experts”
- Political enablers and a shadowy network of donors
Unlike a traditional corporation, this “industry” operates as a flexible ecosystem. Its currency is not just money, but ideologies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories that flow between its members, amplifying and legitimizing each other’s messages.
The Players and Their Playbook: How the Network Operates
Dr. Zine’s research, using Social Network Analysis, identifies how these groups work in concert through specific strategies:
Table 1: The Islamophobia Network’s Toolkit
| Strategy | How It Works | Real-World Example |
|---|---|---|
| Platforming/Co-Platforming | Key figures circulate between media outlets, conferences, and rallies, sharing audiences and credibility. | A Muslim dissident speaker is featured on a far-right news outlet and at a think-tank conference. |
| Echoing & Amplifying | The same conspiracy theory is repeated by media, think tanks, and activist groups, making it seem mainstream. | The “civilizational jihad” or “creeping Sharia” trope is pushed by influencers, then cited by politicians. |
| Legitimizing & Validating | Using “insider” figures (ex-Muslims, security experts) to give authoritative cover to anti-Muslim claims. | A former Muslim validates a stereotype about Islamic texts, lending it perceived authenticity. |
| Monetizing Hate | Generating revenue through donations, crowdfunding, social media, and funding from opaque donor networks. | Websites with “donate” buttons for “fighting Islamization”; funding from U.S.-based Donor Advised Funds. |
| Weaponizing & Surveillance | Digitally manipulating content, mis-translating Arabic, and infiltrating Muslim community organizations. | The case of Imam Ayman Elkasrawy (detailed below). |
A Case Study in Orchestrated Smearing: The Targeting of Imam Ayman Elkasrawy
The study presents a chilling case study that illustrates this network in action. In 2016, Ayman Elkasrawy, a PhD student and assistant imam in Toronto, recited a standard prayer for oppressed people. Eight months later, a digitally manipulated and mistranslated version of the video surfaced on the obscure site CIJ News.
The edited video falsely claimed Elkasrawy called to “slay” Jews and “purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews.” The video was weaponized:
- Soft-Power Groups: B’nai Brith Canada and the Jewish Defence League (JDL) seized on it, calling for Elkasrawy to be fired and filing hate crime complaints.
- Media Amplification: Rebel News and other outlets amplified the false narrative.
- Native Informers: Muslim dissident Tarek Fatah and non-expert Imam Mohammad Tawhidi promoted the mistranslation.
- Foot Soldiers: Elkasrawy’s image appeared on signs at anti-Muslim rallies, including one where JDL members stood with the white nationalist Soldiers of Odin.
The truth: Independent Arabic linguists hired by the Toronto Star found the video was “spliced” and “mistranslated.” Elkasrawy’s actual words were a call to “cleanse Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Jews’ desecration of it”—a reference to Israeli military actions at the holy site, later clarified by Elkasrawy as a poor choice of words. The original video was manipulated by Jonathan Dahoah Halevi, a former IDF spokesperson and Rebel News blogger.
The damage was done. Elkasrawy lost his university job and his mosque position, and was branded an anti-Semite. “I am scared that anything I say can be spliced, rearranged, and twisted into something ugly,” he said.
The Staggering Scale: Follow the Money
The U.S. model reveals the immense financial engine behind such networks. While Canadian data is shrouded in secrecy due to private charity laws, the U.S. figures are a stark warning:
Table 2: The Financial Fuel of Islamophobia (U.S. Data)
| Metric | Findings (from CAIR & UC Berkeley Reports) | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Core Network Donors | 208 million tightly networked donors & experts advance anti-Muslim interests. | Hate is not grassroots; it’s orchestrated by a small, dedicated group. |
| Funding Channels (2014-16) | 1,096 charitable institutions funded 39 Islamophobia network groups via Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). | Mainstream philanthropy is inadvertently bankrolling hate through opaque DAFs. |
| Total Financial Capacity | Those 39 groups had access to $1.5 billion in collective revenue capacity. | The “industry” has resources rivaling major political lobbies. |
| Transnational Links | Major U.S. Islamophobia donors (e.g., Gatestone Institute, Middle East Forum) fund Canadian actors like Rebel News and specific conferences. | The network is borderless, with foreign funds influencing Canadian discourse. |
The study notes that pro-Israel funding is a significant driver. A report by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network found over $300 million invested in “propaganda, surveillance, and lawfare” to silence criticism of Israel and promote anti-Muslim rhetoric.
The Path Forward: Awareness and Action
Dr. Zine’s research is a crucial tool for understanding Islamophobia not as a collection of individual prejudices, but as a systemically nurtured phenomenon. This understanding is vital for crafting effective counter-strategies.
“The Muslim community and its allies must work to engender social movements, enact dedicated advocacy and powerful lobbies to combat the formidable and lucrative business of Islamophobia,” the study concludes.
For the average Canadian, this means:
- Critical Media Consumption: Question the source of alarming stories about Muslims. Who is funding this outlet? Who is echoing the claim?
- Supporting Independent Journalism: Uphold media that does rigorous fact-checking, as the Toronto Star did in the Elkasrawy case.
- Demanding Transparency: Advocate for greater transparency in charitable donations and political funding to expose money trails.
- Solidarity: Recognize that the tools of manipulation and smearing used against one minority group can be turned against any other.
The study ends with a dedication to the victims of Islamophobic violence in Canada. Their memories are a powerful call to action—to see through the manufactured fear, expose the networks that profit from hate, and build a society where such an “industry” cannot thrive.
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